Why Doctors Need Websites: Because it's What's Best for Patients
In previous eras, people lived in small, close-knit communities. All of the people in town knew the doctor, who provided care to them from cradle. However, since the industrial revolution, people have become increasingly transient. Nowadays, it is rare for a patient to receive care from the same doctor for his or her entire life. Gone are the days when doctors could rely on their reputations to bring in new patients.
According to an article published by the American Medical Association, 75% of Americans use the Internet to research important health decisions – including which doctor to see. Patients searching for doctors in South Florida may miss you altogether if you do not have a presence online. A custom-built website can help you reach new patients and serve as a confirmation of your reputation.
Your Website is for Your Message
You may already be online. Angie’s List was created in 1996 as a platform that allows patients to review doctors for the benefit of other consumers. If your patients have reviewed you, that information is available for anyone to see.
You may have a spate of excellent reviews on Angie’s List, and that’s great. You may be getting calls from new patients who found your information on a site like Angie’s List – and from this you may conclude that you don’t need a website of your own.
If so, you are mistaken. Great reviews written by others are an asset but they are out of your control. What’s more, they do not convey your message. On a website of your own, you can tell the world who you are, what makes your practice different, and let patients know why they should choose you.
Validation for Referrals
When one of your patients tells a friend to make an appointment with you, the first thing the friend is likely to do is look you up online. Your website should be the first thing he or she sees. This new patient should already have a feel for what he or she is going to experience at your office even before the first visit – a good website can make that possible.
Zeroing in on Specific Geographical Locations
If you’re a specialist, you may need to reach beyond your local community to keep your practice strong. Your office may be in Port Charlotte, but with a smart geography-based search engine optimization strategy, you can target potential patients in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Naples, Tampa, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Port St Lucie, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and even neighboring states.
People Need You
As a doctor, you want people to get the best care they possibly can. If you are the doctor who can provide that care, then you need to be where people searching for doctors in the Miami area are most likely to find you: online.
Do what’s right for your patients. Speak to an experienced web developer about building a website to showcase your practice, your expertise and your experience.